Sunday, October 31, 2021
Saturday, October 30, 2021
Friday, October 29, 2021
Thursday, October 28, 2021
Forwardbase Kodai EP - Monobox (M-Plant)
Title: Forwardbase Kodai EP
Artist: Monobox
Label: M-Plant
Cat Number: M.PM039
Genre: Techno
A1: Forwardbase Kodai
A2: Forwardbase Kodai (Ø [Phase] Remix)
B1: Forwardbase Kodai (Robert Hood Re-Plant)
B2: Homestead
The concept is sound: construct music around the idea of “an ominous black box that came from some other universe, and it was just hovering over a cornfield somewhere”. Who wouldn’t want this in their lives? As far as the music is concerned, this is Robert Hood getting loose and going back to his techno basics, which are not really basic, as you can imagine. The production is sharp and incisive and absolutely glistens in all the right places. Of the two Hood versions of ‘Forwardbase Kodai’ the ‘Robert Hood Re-Plant’ is a more soaring, tranced-out dubwise version, with more pace than the original which, in turn, is more intricate and less linear. The ‘ Ø [Phase] Remix’ keeps the original’s crispness and stretches it out somewhat. ‘Homestead’ is a slow, but insistent piece of minimalism that occasionally makes me feel I’m living inside the respiratory system of an imaginary industrial monolith. Which is nice.
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Monday, October 25, 2021
Friday, October 22, 2021
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
First Phase - Truncate (Truncate)
Title: First Phase
Artist: Truncate
Label: Truncate
Cat Number: TRUNCATE22
Genre: Techno
1: First Phase (Planetary Assault Systems Remix)
2: First Phase (Original Mix)
3: First Phase (PAS Jam 1)
4: First Phase (PAS Jam 2)
5: The Eve (James Ruskin Remix)
6: The Eve (Original Mix)
Massive remix package in which Luke Slater largely holds sway: his Planetary Assault Systems Remix of ‘First Phase’ is an intricately layered piece of classic big room techno with the wind beneath its wings. It’s one of those tracks with energy to burn, going through the gears like Lewis Hamilton. Both of the PAS Jams are more minimalist affairs, and played end to end could be (are) the same track. James Ruskin’s remix of ‘The Eve’ is an urgent, hepped up be bop on crack take which rises and falls in intensity and whose crisp edges are just that little bit more emphasised than those of the original which, along with that of the title track, is pretty wonderful. Definitely worth shelling out the shekels as much for Truncate’s versions as anything else on this machine funk conflagration.
Monday, October 18, 2021
Sunday, October 17, 2021
Saturday, October 16, 2021
Friday, October 15, 2021
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Thought - Suzukiski (SAISEIi)
Title: Thought
Artist: Suzukiski
Label: SAISEI
Cat Number: SAIS003
Genre: Techno
A1: Living In The Room
A2; Nurse
A3: Gyro
B1: Sargasso
B2: Screw
B3: Direct Mail
C1: Build (Extitute Mix)
C2: Hands
C3: Community Chest
D1: Chelsea
D2: 27PM
D3: Thought
The music on this release is nearly thirty years old. However, it is becoming a dilemma for me at least, as to how to address it, and other product like it. Is its timelessness not only a mark of its quality, but also indicative of a lack of adventure within the twin domains of house and techno? The big questions aside, this is a very accomplished release which shows the artist’s imagination in full flow on analogue hardware. Clearly heavily influenced by what had been coming out of Detroit during its most innovative period, the tracks therein are deep, minimal and quirky, remaining within a range of frequencies in order to be ready for the floor as well as the head. ‘Sargasso’ is my favourite track here, a piece that has both a lightness of touch and depth, and is one of eight extended edits for this album. In addition to Detroit there are clear references to the bleep sound of Sheffield, with ‘Screw’ and ‘Hands’ being obvious examples, and a pervasive LFO sub bass. When all is said and done, all roads lead to Detroit, somewhere that this well-observed, understated collection should feel right at home.
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Detroit Get Down - Jon Dixon (4EVR 4WRD)
Title: Detroit Get Down
Artist: Jon Dixon
Label: 4EVR 4WRD
Cat Number: 4EVR-007
Genre: House
A1: On My Own
A2: ‘How We Get Down (In Detroit)
B1: Words Can’t Express
B2: Lisbon Nights (minorINVENTION Edit)
B2: Lisbon Nights (Darrius Quince Edit)
This release from Jon Dixon on his own label is house with a capital ‘H’, and inhabits a jazzy, latin-inflected stratosphere where the sun never sets and the dancing goes on ad infinitum. And while it would be wrong to say any new ground is being broken, the depth of sophistication emitted from these grooves provokes thought and the imagination. The percussive shuffler, ‘On My Own’ features Moodymann. However, it’s not clear what he’s up to. ‘How We Get Down (In Detroit)’ is a more rangy track which features a nice piano line. ‘Words Can’t Express’ drives deeper enveloped in warm keys, as does ‘ Lisbon Nights’ in both edits, which each add their own abstract edge. The whole package is an analogue exercise in jazz – infused deep house, with an undercurrent of disembodied vocals and the polish of live instrumentation. And, as such, is very good indeed.
Monday, October 11, 2021
Sublunar Tides - Plant43 (Plant43 Recordings)
Title: Sublunar Tides
Artist: Plan43
Label: Plant43 Recordings
Cat Number: PLANT43 006LP
Genre: Electro
A1: Sublunar Tides
A2: Links Forever Forged
B2: Arc Furnace
C1: Neon Sentinel
C2: Transient Cities
C3: Perfect Ruin
D1: Still Sparks
D2: Tides Align
Perhaps the most cinematic of current electro producers. Emile Facey aka Plant43 has hit upon a winning formula which not only renders his productions instantly recognisable; but simultaneously endows them with a depth and gravitas that ensures they are not just cult collectibles, but also genre defining. ‘Sublunar Tides’ is his sixth album proper in a career spanning just over 15 years, and one which may well prove to be the icing on the proverbial machine funk cake. The strain of electro he purveys is funky, emotive, and catchy. And while the majority of the tracks go down that road, ‘Perfect Ruin’ and ‘Tides Align’, are a pair of comparatively slo-mo pieces that more than any other on this album, possibly reflect the melancholic state of mind Facey could have been in while waiting to return to the live circuit during lockdown. However, it is the syncopated, body popping interzone that dominates. Tracks like ‘Links Forever Forged’ and ‘Transient Cities’ are eloquent soundscapes whose undulating subtleties convey more than the sum of their parts and feel endless in doing so. ‘Sublunar Tides’ and ‘Arc Furnace’ take similar motifs, but wrap them in more urgent electronic vestments and the magnificent ‘Still Sparks’ sounds like it has had its innards scooped out and reassembled, subtly changing the pervasive vibe to give the impression that everything is not quite as normal as first thought.
Sunday, October 10, 2021
Saturday, October 09, 2021
Friday, October 08, 2021
Thursday, October 07, 2021
Wednesday, October 06, 2021
Tuesday, October 05, 2021
Monday, October 04, 2021
Soul & Psyche/Movement & Expression - Kempes (Passarella Records)
Title: Soul & Psyche/Movement & Expression
Artist: Kempes
Label: Passarella Records
Cat Number: PASS012
Genre: High Velocity Disco
1: Soul & Psyche
2: Movement & Expression
High velocity, not hi nrg, although maybe thirty or so years ago it could have qualified. Certainly a blast from the past in more ways than one, (as is the artists’ moniker, putting me in mind of Argentina ‘78), but updated and relevant. ‘Soul & Psyche’ is a dense, frictional stomp which fluctuates between manic and confined. ‘Movement & Expression’ is a more spacious italo-inflected workout which has more bounce to the ounce. A nice pair of keepers which should do damage where deployed.
Sunday, October 03, 2021
Friday, October 01, 2021
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